Marketing vs. Finance: Which Degree is Right for Me?

You’re interested in a business career, but the options are overwhelming. It seems like there is a limitless number of business degrees and programs available, and you can’t seem to keep them all straight. From accounting to human resources to management, there’s a lot to consider as you search for the right fit.

To help you narrow it down, we’ve provided a side-by-side comparison of two top business fields: marketing versus finance. Whether you’re leaning toward the more creative side of marketing or favoring the analytical side of finance, this article can help you clarify two of the most in-demand business majors.

Marketing vs. finance: The basics

You may think you know what a business degree entails, but “business” is a broad term that encompasses many varying programs and career paths. There’s a lot to consider when choosing a major, such as job outlook, earning potential and time to degree-completion. You want to choose something with a favorable outlook, as well as something you are truly passionate about. To help you make the best decision, we broke down the basics of each career.

Marketing is the business of introducing or promoting products or services to other organizations or consumers directly. This is done through traditional means such as TV or print ads, flyers, newsletters and billboards, or through newer, digital means. Digital marketing has an ever-increasing scope that now includes content marketing, search engine optimization and email marketing.

Finance, on the other hand, is all about budgeting money and assets. It is similar to accounting in that it involves computation and investments. However, those who study and work in finance will understand how to effectively manage debt, properly manage an investment portfolio and efficiently monitor financial markets and trends.

Marketing vs. finance: Common job titles

Now that you have a better understanding of the basics of marketing and finance, you may be curious to see what you can do with a degree in each of those fields.

Using real-time job analysis software, we identified some of the most popular job titles in each field from the past year.1 We included some common job duties too, so you can get a feel for what the basic day-to-day of each position entails.

Write and review business reports, financial forecasts and annual budgets

Project job growth: 7%

2016 Median annual salary: $121,7502

Marketing vs. finance: Required skills

The above jobs may sound interesting, but they are not for just anyone. Positions in either fields require a specific set of skills. We found the top skills required in both marketing and finance, so you can get a better understanding of the areas you may excel in.1

In-demand marketing skills

In-demand finance skills

Sales

Accounting

Marketing

Financial analysis

Social media

Financial reporting

Customer service

Financial statements

Business development

Economics

Market strategy

Business administration

Scheduling

Forecasting

Sales management

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Customer contact

Account reconciliation

Market research

General ledger

Both fields also share a few common skill sets. These include knowledge of Microsoft Office software, particularly in Excel, budget management and project management. This goes to show that Business degrees, while different in nature, do teach and utilize some of the same transferrable skills, making your degree even more versatile.

Marketing vs. finance: Education requirements

Before embarking on your career in either marketing or finance, you need to get the right degree for your desired position. Our job-posting analysis showed the preferred levels of education in both fields.

The data revealed that 87 percent of marketing jobs required at least a Bachelor’s degree and 89 percent of finance jobs required at least a Bachelor’s degree.1

It’s clear that education is a critical part of launching your career in either marketing or finance. While you may still be deciding which path to take, the most important decision is choosing to go to school to earn a degree.

Marketing vs. finance: The decision is yours

We broke down the fields of marketing versus finance to help you get the bare bones facts on what these two exciting fields entail. In the end, though, only you can decide which career path is right for you. Take some time to identify your strengths and interests to help determine which field best suits you.

If you want a closer look at the career opportunities in each of these fields, take a look at the following articles:

2Salary data represents national, averaged earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries and employment conditions in your area may vary.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in September 2013. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2017.

This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen College to support its educational programs. Rasmussen College may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees for a list of programs offered. External links provided on rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen College does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. Rasmussen College is a regionally accredited private college and Public Benefit Corporation.

Anna is a Content Marketing Writer at Collegis Education who researches and writes student-focused content on behalf of Rasmussen College. She believes the power of the written word can help educate and assist students on their way to a rewarding education.

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